In April 2013 Aston Villa lifted the NextGen Series trophy by beating Chelsea at Lake Como.

But what became of those claret and blue hopefuls? Here's what:

Brad Watkins

Brad Watkins

Position: Goalkeeper

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Unattached

The 23-year-old never made a first-team appearance at Villa despite making the bench for in the 2015 win over Notts County in the Capital One Cup. He previously had a loan spell at Tranmere Rovers in 2013 but is currently without a club since leaving Villa in the summer.

Josh Webb

Josh Webb

Position: Right-back

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Coaching at Aston Villa

Webb moved up from the under-18s to the under-21 squad in 2013. Despite being a regular in the under-21 set up, he left the club in July 2016 to join Kilmarnock on a one-year deal, but barely featured during the 2016-17 campaign. His most recent club was Kidderminster Harriers. Now, Webb coaches the youngsters (aged 6-11) at Bodymoor Heath.

Bradley Lewis

Position: Central defence

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Halesowen Town

Lewis was released in the summer of 2016 and joined Halesowen Town where is he still listed as a defender on the club's official website. He's also a qualified flooring installer and runs his own business.

Janoi Donacien

Janoi Donacien

Position: Central defence

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Ipswich Town

The St Lucia international had loan spells with Tranmere Rovers, Bolton Wanderers and Newport County, making over 65 appearances. After being released in the summer of 2016, Donacien signed for Accrington Stanley. He joined Ipswich Town on loan in the summer and will make the move permanent in the next transfer window. He's already played against Villa this term.

Lewis Kinsella

Lewis Kinsella

Position: Left-back

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Aldershot Town

The likeable left-back almost broke through at Villa as he made the first-team squad under Tim Sherwood's charge. After loan spells at Kidderminster Harriers and Luton Town, the fullback joined Colchester United in the summer of 2016, but his first season there was hit by an ankle injury requiring surgery. He left in the last transfer window to join Aldershot Town in the National League

Josh Barton

Josh Barton with Lewis Kinsella (Image: Getty Images)

Position: Right midfield

First-team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Unattached

The Northern Irishmen didn’t stay at Villa too long after the NextGen Series win. The winger had had spells back in his native at Portadown and Dungannon and was most recently at Lurgan Celtic.

Riccardo Calder

Riccardo Calder

Position: Central midfield

First-team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Inverness Caledonian Thistle

The midfield man had all the makings of a potential first-team player but he never made the breakthrough despite a number of matchday inclusions. He moved on loan to Dundee, Doncaster and Lincoln City but has now found a permanent home in Scotland with the Championship side Inverness Caledonian Thistle. The man from Brum also likes to rap in his spare time as he recently explained. Here's the full story on his part-time hobby.

Samir Carruthers

Samir Carruthers (Image: Simon Cooper/PA Wire)

Position: Central midfield

First team appearances for Villa: 3

Current club: Oxford United (on loan from Sheffield United_

Carruthers lifted the NextGen Series trophy as captain. He made his debut for Villa’s first team in 2012 coming off the bench in a 1-1 draw against Liverpool. After a loan-spell at MK Dons, Caruthers joined the Dons on a permanent basis.

He made over 100 appearances for the League One side before joining Sheffield United in January 2017. First-team opportunities there have been rare so he's now playing for Oxford on loan.

Jack Grealish

Jack Grealish

Position: Left midfield

First team appearances for Villa: 121

Current club: Villa

The most famous name in the line-up. Grealish became a regular under Tim Sherwood, starring in Villa’s 2-1 FA Cup semi final victory over Liverpool at Wembley in 2015. He scored his first goal for the club at the King Power Stadium in a defeat to eventual Premier League champions against Leicester in 2015-16. Starred kast season after a freak injury ruled him out of the first three months of the campaign. Recently signed a five-year deal but is still trying to find his best form this term.

Graham Burke

Burke ended the 2012-13 NextGen Series tournament as joint top goal scorer. He made two appearances under Paul Lambert but left the club permanently in 2015 to join Notts County.

He scored a belter in the Magpies' Capital One Cup defeat at Villa Park in 2015-16. Returned to Ireland in February 2017, joining Shamrock Rovers and getting a goal and a red card on his debut. A rich vein of form followed and earned him a move to Preston. but he's yet to really get going in the Championship.

Callum Robinson

Callum Robinson got a handful of run-outs for the first team but had to move on in search of regular football.

He had three loan spells at Preston and one at Bristol City before making the permanent switch to Deepdale in 2016.

The forward is performing well at Villa's Championship rivals.

Substitutes

Kevin Toner

Kevin Toner

Position: Central defence

First-team appearances for Villa: 4

Current club: St Patricks Athletic

Toner was promoted to first team duty by caretaker boss Eric Black at the end of 2015-16, making four appearances.

It followed a loan spell at non league club Kidderminster Harriers. Bohemians wanted to take the Irish youngster home temporarily before he broke into the Villa team.

He can play in central defence and at left-back. Went on loan to Bradford City in January 2017 before leaving last summer to join St Patricks on a permanent deal.

Jordan Lyden

Jordan Lyden

Position: Midfield

First-team appearances for Villa: 8

Current club: Oldham Athletic (on loan from Villa)

The Australian midfielder was captain and a key player for the under-23s in the 2015-16 campaign. His form for the young lions earned him a promotion to the first team under Remi Garde. He made six league and cup appearances in 2015-16, but an injury ruled him out for much of the following season.

Unfortunately, injuries have thwarted his progress in recent times, too.

He made a couple of appearances in the cup competitions last term before moving on loan to Oldham before the close of the transfer window. He's yet to feature for them.

Khalid Abdo

Khalid Abdo

Position: Midfield

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Villa

Aston Villa beat a string of clubs to get the Swede’s signature back in 2012. Abdo was the captain of Villa's Hong Kong Soccer 7s champions in 2016 and is an under-23s regular. He was released at the end of last season and hasn't signed for another club yet.

Dan Crowley

Dan Crowley

Position: Midfield

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Willem II

The former claret and blue whizzkid was tipped to be one of the hottest young talents in the country. But, aged 16, he left B6 for Arsenal and failed to make a first-team appearance for the Gunners.

In 2015-16 he made 13 appearances on loan for Barnsley, scoring once, and he went on loan to Oxford at the start of 2016-17. In December 2016 he joined Dutch top flight club Go Ahead Eagles on loan before moving to Willem II.

Alfie Crooks

Position: Forward

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Unattached

Suffered a serious cruciate ligament injury. Was released by Villa in the summer of 2015 and then had a trial at Birmingham City. He is on Twitter at @AlfieCrooks

Aidan Grant

Position: Goalkeeper

First team appearances for Villa: 0

Current club: Unknown

The 6ft 6ins stopper was last attached to Corby Town in the Evo-Stik League in the summer of 2016 after stints at Peterborough and Lincoln following his release from Villa.

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Here's how we reported the game

‘Have you won the Youth-opean Cup, the Youth-opean Cup, the Youth-opean Cup?!’

Chelsea might be Champions League holders by doing in 2012 what Villa memorably did in 1982.

But the claret and blues’ are the kings of the continent when it comes to youth football after lifting the NextGen Series trophy on Monday night.

Manager Paul Lambert flew to Italy to watch the kids’ crowning moment from the stands and will hopefully take the feelgood factor into the senior side’s quest for Premier League safety

Graham Burke was the goal hero for the under-19s with two penalties, at the start and end of the second half to clinch a 2-0 victory in the showpiece final at the Stadium Giuseppe Sinigaglia in Lake Como.

Fellow attackers Jack Grealish and Callum Robinson also impressed, while the Villa defence and goalkeeper Brad Watkins showed the first team what it takes to keep a clean sheet.

Monday night’s glory was the culmination of an impressive campaign in which Tony McAndrew’s young team have come on age.

Their involvement in this season’s competition started with a group defeat against Sporting Lisbon in August, but Villa have recovered to beat the Portuguese opponents twice, along with wins over Olympiacos, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Celtic.

At times the claret and blues have ridden their luck, but their character and courage deservedly earned them the success which provides a silver lining to a cloudy year for a club crying out to rediscover a winning mentality.

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Aston Villa latest

Having contended with plenty of pressure, Villa opened the scoring on 49 minutes when Robinson was upended by Alex Davey and Burke tucked away the penalty.

Chelsea were reduced to 10 when Alex Kiwomya was sent off for a second bookable offence late on before Burke made sure of the win with his second spot-kick in stoppage time after Josh Barton was fouled.

There were jubilant celebrations at the final whistle as captain Samir Carruthers lifted the trophy and McAndrew beamed: “They will become little legends in academy folklore.”